


like always

by mooshu



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-05
Updated: 2014-06-05
Packaged: 2018-02-03 13:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1746557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mooshu/pseuds/mooshu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As time goes by, Kris gets used to Tao more and more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	like always

**Author's Note:**

> i discovered tulpas yesterday, this is very loosely based on that.

Tao is lounging on the couch when Kris gets home. On his back with hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Just like always. Kris doesn't even pay him any attention, he's used to it already.

"You're late," Tao comments. "Traffic was bad, right?"

Kris scoffs as he shoves his coat off and drops his bag at the door. "Terrible," he says. Traffic is always a pain, since Kris usually got off his job at around the time rush hour starts. Tao knows that.

By the time he gets into the kitchen, Tao is already there, sat at the table and tapping his fingers on the surface. Kris frowns, feeling frustrated. It seems like Tao always followed him wherever he went, and was always by his side. Even at work he could feel Tao's presence.

"Leftovers for dinner again?" Tao smirked. He knew Kris so well, which was something else that annoyed Kris to the core. Before he even did anything, Tao always knew what he was going to be doing and made sure to voice it out loud. He also knew that this was annoying, which only encouraged him to do it more.

"No," Kris answers bitterly, even though that _was_ what he had in mind. Did he even have anything other than leftovers?

"You keep putting off grocery shopping," Tao says. "You need to do that soon."

Kris is pulling the container of homemade chili his mom sent him out the fridge. He didn't eat much, so it had lasted him for about a week. As always, Tao was right. He did needed to go grocery shopping. 

He sits at the table across from Tao and digs in. He doesn't even bother to heat it up; he had skipped breakfast that morning because he was running late for work, so he was starving.

"You're welcome, by the way," Tao speaks again. "If I hadn't woke you up-"

"Stop." Kris glares at Tao. "Just stop commenting on everything that goes on in _my_ head. It's annoying."

Tao looks hurt and, for a second, Kris feels bad.

But then Tao says, "It's okay. I do comment too much."

The feeling goes away as the younger giggles.

 

After work, Kris usually has nothing to do but lay around the house. He finds some action-comedy movie he hasn't seen in a few years, and lays back in the recliner as he shovels popcorn into his mouth. Tao sits on the couch, like always. It's kind of became a thing for them, watching crappy movies until midnight. Kris in the recliner, Tao on the couch that has kind of became "his".

The guy in the movie says some joke and Tao guffaws, his high pitched laugh loud in Kris' ears. Kris is laughing too, mostly because Tao's laugh is pretty contagious. He likes it.

 

Kris wakes up to someone whisper-calling his name. It's Tao, on the couch, watching him intently. He looks scary in the dark, and it seems like he kind of glows. Kris jumps at first. He'll probably never get used to _that_.

He's still in the recliner, and the TV is still on. It's playing some late night talk show. Did he fall asleep?

Of course, Tao's ready to answer. "You've been asleep for a few hours now," he says. "You know if you sleep all night in that thing your neck will be killing you in the morning."

"I know, I know," Kris says hastily. "I told you to stop doing that." 

Tao narrows his eyes. "I'm just trying to help, Kris."

Kris ignores him, getting up from the recliner to stretch and yawn. He notices the time on the clock that hung on the wall. 11:46.

"I'm going to bed, " he says to Tao, who nods. Kris doesn't bother with saying good night.

 

He brushes his teeth and washes his face first. He couldn't go to bed feeling dirty. He hopes he wakes up early enough to take a shower before work in the morning.

He heads to his room, and of course isn't surprised when he sees Tao laying in his bed after slinging the door open. He was used to it.

"I can wake you up earlier," Tao says. "So you can shower."

Kris sighs. "Sure," he mumbles as he climbs in the bed next to Tao. He suddenly feels exhausted.

Next to him, Tao yawns. "You should get some sleep."

It's eerily silent for a few minutes. Then Kris says, "Where do you go when I sleep?"

Tao shrugs. "I don't know. Places."

"You don't watch me?"

"Not really."

"Oh," Kris finalizes the short conversation. 

Tao was with him so much, it was weird to think of him not being there. He couldn't imagine him anywhere else, at any "places", as Tao called it. 

"Even when I'm at those places, I'm with you," Tao says and this time Kris doesn't get annoyed. "I always am."

 

As time goes by, Kris gets used to Tao more and more. He actually enjoys his presence, and doesn't get annoyed by his mind reading anymore. 

He had always been a lonely person. It was nice to have someone with him, a friend. He truly hoped Tao never went away.

"I won't as long as you want me around," Tao answers his thoughts. They're outside, sitting on an old bedsheet underneath the huge pecan tree in Kris' backyard. Tao doesn't go outside much, so Kris thought it would be a good idea to have dinner out here. "Tell me to go away and I will."

"Never," Kris says.

"You won't get tired of me?" Tao asks, looking up towards the colorful sky.

Kris shakes his head.

At the beginning, he was confused and really creeped out. Tao had appeared out of nowhere, and had became a part of his daily life. He was used to loneliess, and having nothing but his thoughts to himself.

He was used to pushing people away, and never dared to get close to anyone. People and commitment scared him. Then, Tao came.

He allows himself to enjoy and love Tao's presence. He knows Tao would never hurt or leave him as long as Kris didn't ask him to, and why would he do that? He didn't want Tao to go, and luckily, he never had to worry about him going.

Because Tao wasn't real.

And things that aren't real lasts forever.


End file.
